CNPP slams Fayose for ‘diverting’ pensioners’ funds

The Ekiti State Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has expressed shock at alleged diversion of funds meant to pay pensioners and workers by the Ayo Fayose administration.

Reacting to a report by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which indicted the Fayose government for allegedly diverting N680 million bailout fund, the CNPP described the alleged diversion as “callous and greedy”.

But Commissioner for Information Lanre Ogunsuyi dismissed the allegation, saying it was a “figment of imagination of those peddling it”.

He described the Fayose administration as “the most transparent in the history of Ekiti.”

A statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, by CNPP’s Director of Publicity, Kunle Omotayo, said 16 political parties in the state met and regretted that pensioners and workers were owed several arrears after the state had received intervention funds from the Federal Government.

The statement said: “For the first time in the history of Ekiti State, workers have turned petty thieves, stealing pots of soup and some stealing farm produce to stay alive, while several others have become beggars before they can make ends meet…”

Ogunsuyi challenged any person or group with evidence of the alleged diversion to come out with same or forever keep silent.

He said: “I sympathise with those celebrating what the EFCC has done; it is quite unfortunate. Ekiti is in a difficult financial situation because of the repayment of loans obtained by Fayemi administration. We have repaid N40 billion in the last 36 months, deducted at N1.2 billion per month.

“The allegations of treasury looting and financial mismanagement being peddled by some mischievous individuals and groups only exist in their imagination. Let them bring concrete evidence or keep silent forever.”

Good, that EFCC, has the mechanism to monitor all state governors, in order to ensure the London/Paris Club,s loan refunds facilitated by president Muhammadu Buhari, led Federal Government, in order to ease the cases of non-availability of funds to pay our ageing pensioners and civil servants, who are still being owed seven months arrears of pension and salaries.Still, state governors, like Ekiti State-Ayodele Fayose, diverts some of the refunds to enriched himself and EFCC, monitored everything..